Don’t neglect to pay the middleman: How Shell and Eni ended up on trial

Seven years ago, two middlemen launched civil lawsuits to seek payment for helping arrange a $1.3 billion oil deal in Nigeria. Now, nine current and former executives or contractors from Italy’s Eni( ENI.MI ) and British-Dutch giant Royal Dutch Shell ( RDSa.L ), including ENI Chief Executive Claudio Descalzi, have been accused by Italian prosecutors of paying bribes to secure the license to explore a large offshore oilfield in 2011. If found guilty, the individuals on trial face possible jail terms for bribery. All deny wrongdoing, as do Shell and Eni. The criminal trial will proceed in Milan on June 20 after a short initial hearing on May 14. Some of the key issues in the trial came to light during the two separate […]